Restaurants
- Abram Plaut added a new meal Ramen at Gamusha (スタミナラーメン がむしゃ ) at Gamusha (スタミナラーメン がむしゃ )
Recommended bowl: Local style ramen
Stamina Ramen Gamusha has been open since 2005, serving local Ibaraki-style 'stamina ramen'. Shoyu soup and curly egg noodles are topped with fried vegetables, liver and 'An' sauce, a cornstarch-based sauce that adds a thick, gooey-like consistency to the bowl. The veggies involved include cabbage, carrots, kabocha... More
Recommended bowl: Local style ramen
Stamina Ramen Gamusha has been open since 2005, serving local Ibaraki-style 'stamina ramen'. Shoyu soup and curly egg noodles are topped with fried vegetables, liver and 'An' sauce, a cornstarch-based sauce that adds a thick, gooey-like consistency to the bowl. The veggies involved include cabbage, carrots, kabocha squash and garlic chives. The master here trained at Matsugoro, the original shop that created this style. Now Gamusha is one of the most famous shops to serve this local style in all of Ibaraki. Less
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- Abram Plaut added a new meal Dinner at ラーメン坊也哲 at Ramen Bouya Tetsu (ラーメン 坊也哲)
つけ麺 塩 / Tsukemen Shio / Ramen Bouyatetsu — Higashiosaka, Osaka
Dipping soup uses whole chickens, chicken bones, pork back bones, kombu, katsuo and saba-bushi. Medium width straight noodles are house-made. Topped with sliced pork, meatballs, menma and negi.
Mentetsu founder Shouji-san first worked at a sushi restaurant in Osaka before... More
つけ麺 塩 / Tsukemen Shio / Ramen Bouyatetsu — Higashiosaka, Osaka
Dipping soup uses whole chickens, chicken bones, pork back bones, kombu, katsuo and saba-bushi. Medium width straight noodles are house-made. Topped with sliced pork, meatballs, menma and negi.
Mentetsu founder Shouji-san first worked at a sushi restaurant in Osaka before opening his own ramen shop in Toyonaka City in 2003. The group now has three branches around Osaka Prefecture. This Higashiosaka shop was opened by the younger brother of founder Shouji-san. While maintaining the concept of other Mentetsu branches, there are some dishes only available at this location. 24 seats. Since June 2013. Less
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- Abram Plaut added a new meal Ramen at Fukuzo (麺や 福座 ) at Menya Fukuza (麺や 福座)
Recommended bowl: Kyoto style
This local favorite is usually bustling with regular customers and has several staff working the cramped kitchen. The master previously was employed at a restaurant in Kyoto and his ramen features a few Kyoto-style touches. Multiple varieties of ramen are on the menu, but the safe choice is a tonkotsu made from pork leg... More
Recommended bowl: Kyoto style
This local favorite is usually bustling with regular customers and has several staff working the cramped kitchen. The master previously was employed at a restaurant in Kyoto and his ramen features a few Kyoto-style touches. Multiple varieties of ramen are on the menu, but the safe choice is a tonkotsu made from pork leg bones, pig heads and vegetables — all of it cooked for over 15 hours. Four types of shoyu from Kyoto and Kanazawa are used in the tare. The noodles contain flour from both Hokkaido and Canada. The noodles are served firm and the bowls are topped with Kujo negi, a special variety of scallion native to the Kyoto region. Less
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- Abram Plaut added a new meal Ramen at Fukumimi (ふくみみ) at Chuka Soba Fukumimi (中華そば ふくみみ)
Recommended bowl: Simple chuka-soba
Fukumimi is located 45 minutes down the Keio train line in the rather remote city of Bubaigawara – and it's only open for a few hours over lunch (rough!). Yes, this is yet another destination ramen spot catering to a lucky local community and the devoted ramen head who's willing to travel across one of the world’s... More
Recommended bowl: Simple chuka-soba
Fukumimi is located 45 minutes down the Keio train line in the rather remote city of Bubaigawara – and it's only open for a few hours over lunch (rough!). Yes, this is yet another destination ramen spot catering to a lucky local community and the devoted ramen head who's willing to travel across one of the world’s most sprawling cities for his lunch. And the limited-access approach seems to be working for them: every time we've eaten at Fukumimi there has been a long line of ramen geeks waiting for a seat.
Fukumimi's offering is quite similar to Hachioji style ramen: dark shoyu soup with thin, homemade noodles. It’s essentially Japanese comfort food – a bowl you can eat every week. There is nothing flashy here but it's put together with incredible precision. The balance in this bowl should give you pause.
It’s a classic Tokyo ramen shop experience – tiny interior, counter seating only and a lone master in the kitchen making the magic happen. The menu is as simple as the ramen: chuka soba and tokusei chuka soba are all that's served. Well worth the long train ride. Less
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- Abram Plaut added a new meal Dinner at シビカラ担々麺 澤田商店 at Sawada Shoten
坦々麺 / Tantanmen / Sawada Shōten — Kita-Shinchi, Osaka
Soup stock uses chicken carcasses, saba-bushi, kombu and niboshi, combined with sesame paste, roasted sesame seeds and chili oil. Medium-width wavy noodles are supplied by Teigaku. Pork belly chashu, tori chashu, baby bok choy and bean sprouts. 16 different ways to customize spiciness... More
坦々麺 / Tantanmen / Sawada Shōten — Kita-Shinchi, Osaka
Soup stock uses chicken carcasses, saba-bushi, kombu and niboshi, combined with sesame paste, roasted sesame seeds and chili oil. Medium-width wavy noodles are supplied by Teigaku. Pork belly chashu, tori chashu, baby bok choy and bean sprouts. 16 different ways to customize spiciness and numbness levels. Mini mābo donburi on the side.
Master Shuhei Sawada was born in Himeji City, Hyogo. After working part time at a Chinese restaurant, he decided to attend the Tsuji Culinary Institute in Abeno, Osaka. He graduated in 2000, then traveled to Hong Kong where he trained at multiple Chinese restaurants over the next several years. Upon returning to Japan, he began running restaurants, including the China Room at the Grand Hyatt in Roppongi Hills. His restaurant Chugokusai S.Sawada opened in Osaka in 2016, soon being awarded a Michelin star (now for six consecutive years). Sawada-san eats about 50 bowls of tantanmen per year, it was in his plans for quite some time to eventually open a tantanmen specialty shop. 14 seats. Since April 4th, 2022. @sawadashoten123 Less
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- Abram Plaut added a new meal Ramen at Fukumaru (麺屋福丸) at Fukumaru (麺屋福丸)
Recommended bowl: Duck soup
Master Fukumaru-san trained at Menya Musashi branches in both Shinjuku and Roppongi before opening his own shop in June 2016. Fukumaru specializes in duck ramen, and uses birds sourced from Iwate prefecture. There is a clear shoyu soup and a creamier paitan, both made with a duck soup and using duck oil. The star is the... More
Recommended bowl: Duck soup
Master Fukumaru-san trained at Menya Musashi branches in both Shinjuku and Roppongi before opening his own shop in June 2016. Fukumaru specializes in duck ramen, and uses birds sourced from Iwate prefecture. There is a clear shoyu soup and a creamier paitan, both made with a duck soup and using duck oil. The star is the paitan — creamy, rich, smooth and bursting with umami. Kanejin noodles, choice toppings. A winner. Less
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- Abram Plaut added a new meal Dinner at らーめん うぉんちゅ at らーめんうぉんちゅ
坊勢ラーメン / Bōze Ramen / Ramen Uonchu — Bōze Island, Hyogo
Shoyu based soup contains pork thigh meat and locally made niboshi-garei (dried flounder). Medium-thin straight dried noodles, pork chashu, green negi, bean sprouts and menma. House-made gando-garei rice bowl and garei-furikake rice bowl on the side, both utilize the locally... More
坊勢ラーメン / Bōze Ramen / Ramen Uonchu — Bōze Island, Hyogo
Shoyu based soup contains pork thigh meat and locally made niboshi-garei (dried flounder). Medium-thin straight dried noodles, pork chashu, green negi, bean sprouts and menma. House-made gando-garei rice bowl and garei-furikake rice bowl on the side, both utilize the locally produced dried fish (considered a delicacy by native islanders).
Master Norihiro Kobayashi was born on Bōze Island and has lived there his entire life. After retiring from commercial fishing, he decided to open this ramen shop (the only one on the island), which he runs himself. Around 12 seats. Since October 2019. Less
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- Abram Plaut added a new meal Ramen at Fukuju (福寿) at Fukuju (福寿)
Recommended bowl: Open since 1951
The interior of this shop feels like it hasn't changed for half a century, which is pretty much the case. Various trinkets and dusty relics adorn the walls and shelves — Fukuju is like a portal into another era. The lone eccentric master keeps odd hours, boils noodles in a large wok, and is always up for a fun conversation.... More
Recommended bowl: Open since 1951
The interior of this shop feels like it hasn't changed for half a century, which is pretty much the case. Various trinkets and dusty relics adorn the walls and shelves — Fukuju is like a portal into another era. The lone eccentric master keeps odd hours, boils noodles in a large wok, and is always up for a fun conversation. The ramen is Tokyo shoyu of the simplest variety — ultra-old school cheap eats. You go here for the historic experience more than the ramen. Open since 1951. Less
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- Abram Plaut added a new meal Ramen at Fuhka (新宿めんや風花 本店) at Shinjuku Menya Fuuka (新宿めんや風花)
Recommended bowl: All natural shio
The master of this Kyoto shop is originally from the Shinjuku district of Tokyo, hence the shop's name. The bowls here are pleasant and feel homemade, with natural ingredients and noodles prepared fresh in-house. The go-to menu item is probably the natural shio ramen, which has a clear soup made with chicken and... More
Recommended bowl: All natural shio
The master of this Kyoto shop is originally from the Shinjuku district of Tokyo, hence the shop's name. The bowls here are pleasant and feel homemade, with natural ingredients and noodles prepared fresh in-house. The go-to menu item is probably the natural shio ramen, which has a clear soup made with chicken and gyokai broth and a topping of pork belly chashu that takes three days to prepare.
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つけ麺 / Tsukemen / Menya Takei R1 — Yawata, Kyoto
Rich tonkotsu gyokai dipping soup uses pork bones, chicken feet and gyokai. Noodles are supplied by Kokoro no Aji Shokuhin. Pork belly chashu, black pepper, negi, nori, gyofun and yuzu.
Master Takei-san trained at the legendary Chūka Soba Tomita in Matsudo before going independent. His Jōyō... More
つけ麺 / Tsukemen / Menya Takei R1 — Yawata, Kyoto
Rich tonkotsu gyokai dipping soup uses pork bones, chicken feet and gyokai. Noodles are supplied by Kokoro no Aji Shokuhin. Pork belly chashu, black pepper, negi, nori, gyofun and yuzu.
Master Takei-san trained at the legendary Chūka Soba Tomita in Matsudo before going independent. His Jōyō City flagship opened in 2011, now the company operates eight stores around Kyoto and Osaka. This R1 branch is located along the Japan National Route 1 Highway. Open 11am-11pm, 365 days a year. 24 seats. Since July 16th, 2014. Less
